Southeastern U.S. struck with strong winds, tornadoes on Christmas Day

A house in Tioga, La., is severely damaged after an apparent tornado tore through the area Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2012. (AP Photo/The Daily Town Talk, Melinda Martinez)

The Daily Town Talk

Matthew Patterson and Jenetta McGee work to tape plastic over the window of McGees car after a tree smashed it Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2012. The tree, which is laying across South Carlen St. over a downed power line, was uprooted and knocked down by a tornado which hit midtown Mobile Christmas Day. (AP Photo/AL.com, Bill Starling)

AL.com

Debris sits on a side street near Washington Street in Alexandria, La. after an apparent tornado tore through the area Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2012. (AP Photo/The Daily Town Talk, Melinda Martinez)

The Daily Town Talk

Firefighters go door-to-door on North Carlen Street in the Midtown section of Mobile, Ala. after a tornado touched down Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2012. A Christmas Day twister outbreak left damage across the Deep South while holiday travelers in the nations much colder midsection battled sometimes treacherous driving conditions from freezing rain and blizzard conditions. (AP Photo/AL.com, Mike Kittrell)

AL.com

Residents walk down a street littered and partially blocked with downed tree limbs and other debris after tornado touched down Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2012 in the Midtown area of Mobile, Ala. A Christmas Day twister outbreak left damage across the Deep South while holiday travelers in the nation's much colder midsection battled sometimes treacherous driving conditions from freezing rain and blizzard conditions. (AP Photo/G.M. Andrews)

FR 35697AP

A truck tries to navigate down a street littered and partially blocked with downed tree limbs and other debris after tornado touched down Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2012 in the Midtown area of Mobile, Ala. A Christmas Day twister outbreak left damage across the Deep South while holiday travelers in the nation's much colder midsection battled sometimes treacherous driving conditions from freezing rain and blizzard conditions. (AP Photo/G.M. Andrews)

FR 35697AP

A home is damaged and its lawn is covered with debris after a tornado touched down Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2012 in Mobile, Ala. A Christmas Day twister outbreak left damage across the Deep South while holiday travelers in the nation's much colder midsection battled sometimes treacherous driving conditions from freezing rain and blizzard conditions. (AP Photo/G.M. Andrews)

FR 35697AP

Debris sits on the frontage road near I-49 in downtown Alexandria, La., after an apparent tornado tore through the area Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2012. (AP Photo/The Daily Town Talk, Melinda Martinez)

The Daily Town Talk

Downed tree limbs and other debris cover the street and sidewalk in front of an apartment building after a tornado touched down Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2012 in the Midtown area of Mobile, Ala. A Christmas Day twister outbreak left damage across the Deep South while holiday travelers in the nation's much colder midsection battled sometimes treacherous driving conditions from freezing rain and blizzard conditions. (AP Photo/G.M. Andrews)

FR 35697AP

A house in the Midtown section of Mobile, Ala. is damaged after a tornado touched down Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2012. A Christmas Day twister outbreak left damage across the Deep South while holiday travelers in the nations much colder midsection battled sometimes treacherous driving conditions from freezing rain and blizzard conditions. (AP Photo/AL.com, Mike Kittrell)

AL.com

Members of the Alpine Volunteer Fire Department and the VA Fire Department clear debris from U.S. 71 in the Tioga, La. area, after an apparent tornado tore through the area Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2012. (AP Photo/The Daily Town Talk, Melinda Martinez)

The Daily Town Talk

Residents walk down a street littered and partially blocked with downed tree limbs and other debris after tornado touched down Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2012 in the Midtown area of Mobile, Ala. A Christmas Day twister outbreak left damage across the Deep South while holiday travelers in the nation's much colder midsection battled sometimes treacherous driving conditions from freezing rain and blizzard conditions. (AP Photo/G.M. Andrews)

FR 35697AP

The front wall of the parish hall at Trinity Episcopal Church on Dauphin Street in Mobile, Ala. was torn off by a tornado on Christmas Day, Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2012 in Mobile, Ala. The tornado hit midtown Mobile causing extensive damage to the church as well as Murphy High School. (AP Photo/AL.com, Bill Starling) MAGS OUT

AL.com

The nozzle of a gasoline pump sits on the ground after being blown from its pump after a tornado touched down Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2012 in Mobile, Ala. A Christmas Day twister outbreak left damage across the Deep South while holiday travelers in the nation's much colder midsection battled sometimes treacherous driving conditions from freezing rain and blizzard conditions. (AP Photo/G.M. Andrews)

FR 35697AP

Lightning flashes as another line of thunderstorms approaches a severely damaged home near McNeill, Miss. on Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2012. A Christmas Day twister outbreak left damage across the Deep South while holiday travelers in the nation's much colder midsection battled sometimes treacherous driving conditions from freezing rain and blizzard conditions. (AP Photo/Hattiesburg American, Ryan Moore)

The Hattiesburg American

A home in the Midtown section of Mobile, Ala. is damaged after a tornado touched down Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2012. A Christmas Day twister outbreak left damage across the Deep South while holiday travelers in the nations much colder midsection battled sometimes treacherous driving conditions from freezing rain and blizzard conditions. (AP Photo/AL.com, Mike Kittrell)

AL.com

A house in the Midtown section of Mobile, Ala. is damaged after a tornado touched down Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2012. A Christmas Day twister outbreak left damage across the Deep South while holiday travelers in the nations much colder midsection battled sometimes treacherous driving conditions from freezing rain and blizzard conditions. (AP Photo/AL.com, Mike Kittrell)

AL.com

CenterPoint Energy employees work to restore power Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2012, in Houston. Strong winds and rain downed trees that were weakened by last year's drought knocking out power to tens of thousands of customers in the Houston area. At the height of the Christmas day storm, some 69,000 homes were without power in the Houston region. By early evening CenterPoint was reporting 52,000 customers were without power. (AP Photo/Houston Chronicle, Mayra Beltran )

A large tree covers the front lawn of a home after tornado touched down Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2012 in the Midtown area of Mobile, Ala. A Christmas Day twister outbreak left damage across the Deep South while holiday travelers in the nation's much colder midsection battled sometimes treacherous driving conditions from freezing rain and blizzard conditions. (AP Photo/G.M. Andrews)

FR 35697AP

In this image from video provided by WALA-TV in Mobile, Ala. a tornado touches down in Mobile on Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2012. The tornado hit some areas of downtown Mobile Tuesday, causing severe damage in the area before moving north, officials said. (AP Photo/WALA-TV)

WALA-TV

Geraldine Pedersen and her dog Marlow were in her car traveling down U.S. 71 in the Tioga, Louisiana area when a tree fell down in front of the car and a wind knocked her car into a yard, Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2012. A tornado through the Central Louisiana area. (AP Photo/The Town Talk, Melinda Martinez)

The Town Talk

A car tries to navigate down a street littered with downed tree limbs and other debris after a tornado touched down Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2012 in the Midtown area of Mobile, Ala. A Christmas Day twister outbreak left damage across the Deep South while holiday travelers in the nation's much colder midsection battled sometimes treacherous driving conditions from freezing rain and blizzard conditions. (AP Photo/G.M. Andrews)

FR 35697AP

Dauphin Street at North Carlen Street in the Midtown section of Mobile, Ala. is impassable after a tornado touched down Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2012. A Christmas Day twister outbreak left damage across the Deep South while holiday travelers in the nations much colder midsection battled sometimes treacherous driving conditions from freezing rain and blizzard conditions. (AP Photo/AL.com, Mike Kittrell)